School Spirit

This would be one of my all time favourite children’s songs. Truth be told, it would have to be one of my all time favourite songs full stop! It’s a great little piece lamenting the lost innocence of growing up and leaving childhood imagination and adventures behind. Most people have probably heard or sung this song sometime as they’ve grown up over the years since it was first written, but I make sure that every kid that passes through my grade has the pleasure of hearing this song now too. As we’d just finished reading the novel ‘Rowan of Rin‘ which featured a Dragon at the top of the Mountain, this fit in rather nicely. To the side you’ll be able to listen and hear the original group, Peter Paul and Mary, performing their song, and once more, the words are included below.

At least, the words I learned and pass on to the kids. Again, the chords I use are listed below as well.

Puff the Magic Dragon

Puff the Magic Dragon lived by the sea,
And frolicked in the Autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee.
Little Jackie Paper loved that rascal Puff
And bought him string and sealing wax and other fancy stuff.

Chorus
Puff the Magic Dragon lived by the sea
And frolicked in the Autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee.
Puff the Magic Dragon lived by the sea
And frolicked in the Autumn mist in a land called Honah Lee.

Together they would travel on a boat with billowed sail.
Jackie kept a lookout perched on Puff’s gigantic tail.
Noble kings and princes would bow whenever they came.
Pirate ships would lower their flags when Puff roared out his name.

Chorus

A dragon lives forever, but not so little boys.
Painted wings and giants’ rings make way for other toys.
One grey night it happened, Jackie Paper came no more
And Puff, that might dragon, he ceased his fearless roar.
His neck was bent in sorrow, green scales fell like rain.
Puff no longer went to play along the cherry lane.
Without his lifelong friend, Puff could not be brave
So Puff that might dragon sadly slipped into his cave.

Chorus

The chord progression is the same in the verse and chorus. I play it with the capo on the second or third fret.

G / Bm / C / G / C D / G Em / A7 / D /
G / Bm / C / G / C D / G Em / A7 D / G D7 /

Related Posts: Review - Rowan of Rin, The Unicorn Song.

Technorati tags: Puff the magic dragon, Kids songs, dragons.

Seven hearts the journey make,
Seven ways the hearts will break.

So begins the witch, Sheba’s, prophecy concerning the great adventure to take place during the journey to the top of the Mountain, and young Rowan’s role in it all. With the mountain stream that supplies the isolated village of Rin with life-giving water failing to flow, six sturdy villagers are chosen to make the dangerous journey to the summit of the Mountain to set the stream flowing again, and Rowan is to be the unwanted seventh member.

Rowan of Rin, winner of the 1994 Children’s Book Council of Australia Book of the Year - Younger Readers, is a delightful, classical adventure story for young readers, or those still young at heart. Written with a keen eye for the more traditional fantasy adventure stories of the past by Australian children’s author Emily Rodda, children travel with Rowan to face the legendary Dragon at the top of the Mountain, hoping to set the stream running again to save his beloved bukshah, the cattle-like beasts he cares for in the fields. As one by one his six brave and courageous companions fall to the dangers of the Mountain, Rowan faces his fears and terrors to fulfill the prophecy the witch, Sheba, foretold.

Written for young readers from about the age of 8 years up, Rowan of Rin is a fantastic children’s novel to introduce children to fantasy topics, as well as the age-old theme of the smallest proving to be the strongest hero of all. While Sheba foretells that the ‘bravest heart shall carry on’, Rowan, who fears everything, discovers the strength within himself to prove that the smallest of us can prove to be the strongest. Filled with fun and intriguing riddles for the adventurers to solve along the way, as well as various dangers to test and break the heart of each member of the party, Rowan of Rin brings this genre of storytelling into the imaginations of children in a manner filled with heart.

While the first few chapters of the story move slowly as the plot develops, once the journey up the Mountain gets under way, the children I’ve read this great story to all find themselves hanging on every paragraph as it leads to it’s climactic conclusion, the terrible encounter with the Dragon of the Mountain. Before long each chapter closes with the kids begging for just one more, which is just what you want from a story such as this.

The latest edition of the story features all five Rowan stories combined into one hard-cover tome entitled ‘The Journey’. The remaining four adventures are titled ‘Rowan and the Travellers’, ‘Rowan and the Keeper of the Crystal‘, ‘Rowan and the Zebak’ and ‘Rowan and the Bukshah’.

Personally, I have read this novel to every grade I have ever taught, and with four sequels now to continue Rowan’s adventures, the series gives the kids plenty of extra reading to satisfy the curiosity of those who wish to continue the adventure for themselves. While it doesn’t move along as quickly or with as much blatant humour as modern children’s novels tend to do, this little story is a fantastic throwback to what traditional fantasy stories were always supposed to be, and is well worth introducing to any kid with an imagination.

Another review of Rowan of Rin - Twisted Kingdom.

Technorati tags: Rowan of Rin, Emily Rodda, books, book reviews.